For many individuals who are new to Canada on a working holiday visa it is very common to take on multiple casual jobs, as well as having multiple addresses within the tax year. As such many lose or do not receive T4 documents from old employers. Does this sound like you? Fear not, we have commenced a new online tax slip service whereby for a $30 fee we will be able to download copies of your tax slips from the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) website and provide them to you.

Why is it important to file your tax return including all tax slips from the year?

When filing your tax return, you are submitting a declaration to CRA of your income for the tax year. If you fail to include T4 information from all employers from the tax year it could be deemed as a failure to declare income by CRA. Usually, CRA will give a pass to first time offenders, however if you fail to declare all income on multiple tax returns then CRA will impose penalties. It is best advised to stay on CRA’s good side as they can are more likely to forgive small penalties and interest amounts if you are in their good books.

How do we download your tax slips?

If you need our services to download all tax slips for the tax slip, we can provide you with an authorization form. Once we have received a signed copy of the authorization form, we will submit a copy to CRA. This will then allow us to log into your online CRA account and download the tax slips. If you would prefer to only allow limited access to your online CRA account you can limit the access to a certain time period.

Set up a MyCRA account to download the tax slips yourself!

You can skip this service entirely by setting up your online CRA account yourself! If you would rather save $30 you can contact CRA and set up your CRA online account, where you will have access to tax slips for all years in which you have worked in Canada. Please note, CRA does not allow individuals who are filing taxes for the first time to set up an online CRA account, this can create a bit of a catch 22 for those who are unable to get a copy of all of their tax slips and are also unable to access their online CRA account. 

Does this tax slip download service sound like a good option for you?

If you wish to pursue this tax slip download service, please do not hesitate to contact us at team@jackstaxback.com or visit our Vancouver office* and let us know how we can be of assistance. We will then forward an authorization form to you which will provide us with the permission required to download your tax slips, simple!

**At the time of publishing our Vancouver office is unavailable for in person meetings due to COVID-19. Please reach our team via email – team@jackstaxback.com 

Many individuals have taken advantage of the surging popularity of ridesharing as a form of transport within Vancouver and other big cities around Canada, as such there have been a large increase in the number of individuals acting as rideshare drivers. A lot of income will have ben generated from rideshare services performed over the tax year, and this type of income requires income and expense declarations which can be more tricky to report to CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) than income earned through a company’s payroll.

How does rideshare income affect your tax return?

Although income is being earned via a rideshare provider, the income is technically employment income and therefore it is not run through a payroll system where tax is deducted at source. As someone who earns rideshare income you are technically operating as a contractor, this means you are required to declare your contractor income earned during the tax year to CRA, and you will then owe tax on that income to CRA when filing your taxes at year end. 

This may sound intimidating knowing that you will owe tax on that rideshare income earned, however you can reduce your taxes owed to CRA by claiming expenses against your rideshare income

How does claiming expenses impact your tax return, and what expenses can you claim on your tax return?

As an example. If you earn $10,000 in rideshare income and claim zero expenses, you will owe tax on the full $10,000 amount. If you earn $10,000 but are able to claim $4,000 in expenses you will only owe tax on $10,000 – $4,000 = $6,000. It is clearly beneficial to claim expenses against your rideshare income to reduce the amount of tax owed to CRA at year end. 

To claim expenses on your tax return, they must be allowable by CRA. As a rule of thumb, any reasonable cost that was incurred in order to specifically earn your contractor income should be allowable. For example. Buying gas to allow you to operate your rideshare vehicle is allowable as without it you would not be able to operate the vehicle and generate income. However, buying Vancouver Canucks tickets would not be allowable as the tickets are not required in order to generate income from ridesharing. 

Common examples or expenses to be claimed on your tax return related to ridesharing would be gas, insurance, repairs and maintenance of vehicle, cell phone service, vehicle lease costs, NOT Vancouver Canucks tickets

Keeping track of expenses and receipts

When filing taxes at year end it is important to keep track of expenses as well as the receipts related to those expenses. Being organized and tracking our expenses will allow you to file your taxes more easily and ensure that the correct information is being reported to CRA. CRA can request copies of receipts up to 6 years after the tax year has been filed, therefore it is important to make sure you have correctly/safely stored your receipts. One good method to ensure the safety of your records is to scan copies of your receipts and store them on your computer or a hard drive. 

Importance of correctly reporting information to CRA (Canada Revenue Agency)

When submitting income and expense information to CRA on your tax return it is important to ensure the information is accurate. If CRA audit you and ask for proof of the totals of expenses being claimed on your tax return, you will need to be able to submit that proof to them. If CRA deem that you have not been truthful with the information submitted to them it can result in penalties being issued.

Questions and assistance with filing your tax return

Filing taxes as a contractor can be quite tricky as there are a lot more expenses available to contractors. If you have any questions regarding your tax return or are looking for assistance with your contractor tax filing, please contact us at team@jackstaxback.com or visit our Vancouver office*, and we will be more than happy to assist. Tax doesn’t have to be taxing!

*At the time of publishing our Vancouver office is not open for visits due to COVID-19. Please reach our team via email – team@jackstaxback.com 

Here are a few important items that may be relevant to you for the upcoming 2021 tax filing.

Did you receive COVID or other benefits during the 2021 tax year?

2021 saw many individuals continuing to lose employment due to COVID all across Canada, as such many received COVID related benefits throughout the year. It is important to remember that these COVID related benefit payments are considered as income which must be declared on your 2021 tax return. The benefit related income will be reported on either a T4A or a T4E and must be included when submitting your tax return to CRA (Canada revenue agency). 

Were you required to work from home during the 2021 tax year?

As with 2020, there have been a lot of workers who have been forced to carry out their role from home offices. CRA has announced that it will continue to allow the simplified working from home deduction for the 2021 tax year. Good news, the deduction has increased to a maximum of $500 which is a $100 increase from the maximum allowed on the 2020 tax return. If you were required to work from home (in Canada) for longer than 4 weeks continuously then you will be able to make the simplified working from home deduction claim on your 2021 tax return. 

Did you arrive in Canada during the 2021 tax year?

Vancouver, Toronto and other cities around Canada are very popular for temporary foreign workers. If you are a newcomer tax resident to Canada it may be daunting filing your first tax return. Here are a few important things to consider when filing your 2021 tax return:

• Record your date of entry to Canada to ensure your tax credits are correctly calculated
• Receive T4s from all 2021 employers in Canada and report all income on your tax return
• Tax filing deadline is April 30 (After this date CRA may impose late filing fees depending on your tax situation)
• Make sure you file using an address to which you have access to the mail as sensitive personal information will be mailed to that address by CRA
• Set up direct deposit refunds at the time of filing your tax return, this means you will never have to worry about cheques being lost in the mail

Did you emigrate from Canada during the 2021 tax year?

If you emigrated from Canada during 2021 here are a few important things to keep in mind:

• You must file a tax return for the final tax year in which you earned Canadian income
• An emigrant tax return cannot be filed online, it must be submitted to CRA via mail
• CRA will mail refund cheques to foreign addresses
• If you continue to receive GST/HST credits after the date you left Canada, it is most probable that CRA will request that these payments be returned to them.

(Ontario/Manitoba residents only) Did you make accommodation rental payments or pay property tax during 2021?

If you resided in Ontario or Manitoba during 2021 and paid rent or property tax on your accommodation, do not forget to apply for the credit on your 2021 tax return. The application for the credit is submitted as part of your tax return. 

Questions and tax filing services

If you have any questions about the items noted above, about tax in general, or would like assistance with your 2021 tax return filing, please do not hesitate to contact us via email – team@jackstaxback.com or stop by our Vancouver office located in the Vancouver West End**. Our team will be more than happy to assist you, tax doesn’t have to be taxing. 

**At the time of publishing our Vancouver office is not accepting in person meetings due to COVID-19. Please reach our team via email – team@jackstaxback.com 

CRA has announced new COVID relief measures for individuals filing their 2020 tax returns. As part of their scheme to reduce the financial burden on individuals who need it most, CRA has announced interest relief for those who meet the eligibility criteria.

A lot of individuals who received CERB/CRB or other COVID-19 relief payments will unfortunately owe taxes to CRA when filing their 2020 tax returns. Because CERB payments are considered as taxable income, and had zero income tax deducted at source, it means that most will owe tax balances on those payments received.

What are the criteria to qualify for interest relief on tax balances owing?

• You must have a 2020 balance owing to CRA
• Your 2020 total income must be $75,000 or below
• You must have received a COVID-19 benefit payment (CERB, CESB, CRB, CRCB, CRSB) during 2020
• You must have filed your 2020 tax return

The majority of tax payers who received a COVID-19 benefit will meet the above criteria.

What does the interest relief mean?

If you have a tax balance owing to CRA from your 2020 tax return and meet the above criteria, you will not be charged interest on that balance owing until after April 30, 2022. This provides individuals with tax balances owing an additional 12 months to settle their tax balance owing with CRA. 

Late filing penalties

Please note, there is still the 5% late filing penalty for those with tax balances owing who fail to file their 2020 tax return before the end of April 30, 2021. This penalty means all individuals who file their taxes late, and have a tax balance owing will be hit with an additional 5% on top of their balance owing. An additional 1% penalty is added for each month the tax return is filed late, up to a maximum of 12 months (12%).

Need more information? Drop us a line and we’ll be happy to assist any queries.

Why you may have a balance owing to CRA

For some of us, there can be an unwanted surprise when starting to file your most recent tax return. The dreaded balance owing. For many, a tax balance owing will come as a complete shock, as most employed individuals will be expecting a tax refund, as opposed to a tax balance owing. 

Why would someone who is paid through payroll owe taxes at year end?

The simplest explanation for why an individual may owe additional taxes to CRA is because their employer(s) failed to deduct sufficient tax from their pay cheques throughout the tax year. When filing a tax return, the total income is compared to the total taxes deducted, and a tax overpayment (refund) or tax underpayment (balance owing) can be assessed. There are several, common explanations for most balances owing.

Multiple employers

Probably the most common scenario where employed individuals have a tax balance owing is because they had multiple employers during the tax year. If you are taking on multiple jobs during the tax year it is important to inform each HR department that you currently have multiple employers. Each year individuals are allowed a tax free threshold of income. Your employer will recognize the tax free threshold when calculating your tax deductions. When calculating your tax deductions, a second employer needs to know that your original employer has already accounted for your tax free threshold. If you have multiple employers who all include a tax free threshold in their tax deduction calculations, you will have a balance owing to CRA. 

Receiving a raise during the tax year

If you receive a raise during the year, it can unfortunately turn the happiness of receiving a raise into the sadness of a tax balance owing to CRA. Some employers will fail to sufficiently increase tax deductions on the increased amount of income, resulting in a tax balance owing.

Simple payroll system error

Some smaller employers will process payroll ‘in house’. Unfortunately, inexperienced employers who are unsure of the ever-changing tax deduction rates can frequently fail to correctly deduct tax from their employees pay cheques, leaving their employees surprised with a tax balance owing when they file their taxes.

CERB/CRB/EI payments

The CERB and CRB payments which were introduced in 2020 as COVID relief measures are considered as taxable income. Where EI payments usually have some tax deducted at source, the Canadian Government decided that they would not deduct tax from the CERB and CRB payments. This means that individuals who received the COVID relief payments during 2020 will be required to pay tax on the payments received. 

Withdrawing RRSP funds (not for home buying purposes as part of the HBP)

If you withdraw funds from an RRSP account, depending on the circumstances the financial institution from whom you have withdrawn the RRSP funds will deduct tax from the withdrawal amount. However, it is rare for the financial institution to deduct sufficient tax from the withdrawal, this will result in tax being owed when filing your tax return.

Additional income on top of employment income

If you are fortunate enough to have income sources on top of your regular employment income, it is very possible that you will owe tax on that income. Most individuals who receive self-employed income will already be prepared to pay tax in that income, however those who receive interest income on a T5 may be blindsided by that tax owed on this additional income. 

If you are concerned about your tax situation, and are unsure whether you will owe additional tax when filing your tax return, why not ask a professional for assistance

At Jackstaxback we are always happy to offer assistance to those filing returns under more complicated circumstances, including when individuals have a balance owing to CRA. We will try to explain the effects of income and deductions on your tax refund or balance owing at year end, and try to provide ass much insight as possible. Feel free to contact us today for a tax return quote. 

What are the benefits of filing your tax return as soon as possible?

With CRA expected to authorize online filings of 2020 tax returns on February 26, 2021, it means tax season is right around the corner. A lot of us are slow to file our tax returns, quoting ‘There’s still months before it needs to be filed’, however it can certainly pay to file your taxes as soon as possible. Here are some reasons why.

You will receive your refund quicker

Probably the most obvious reason to file your taxes earlier, is the thought of receiving your tax refund as soon as possible. Why wait to receive a refund when you can use those tax dollars however you see fit. 

Dealing with unwanted surprises sooner, the dreaded ‘balance owing’

Unfortunately, a few of us will receive the dreaded news that we actually owe additional taxes to CRA, rather than being due a tax refund. Even as an employee with taxes being deducted through payroll, there will be some who will owe additional taxes to CRA, as their employer will have failed to deduct a sufficient amount of tax from their pay cheques. The additional taxes will need to be paid to CRA by April 30^th (This could be pushed back due to COVID relief by the Government), it will be easier to budget for any tax amount owing if receiving the news earlier rather than later. 

GST/HST credit calculations

For those who qualify to receive the quarterly GST/HST credit, you are required to file your taxes in a timely manner to ensure that the credit payment can be made to you on time. Delays in filing your taxes can result in delays in receiving your credit. We have seen cases where credit payments have been missed, and clients have been required to chase up to receive their missing payments.

Applications for CRB

For workers who are new to Canada, and have recently lost their work position due to COVID, having a tax return filed with CRA will help speed up the CRB application process. It means Services Canada will have access to all of your income information on their system, to allow them to authorize your approval to receive CRB payments as quickly as possible. 

Mortgage / Loans / Credit applications

With 2021 being forecasted to break real estate sales records, there will be an increased number of individuals seeking mortgage approvals. Mortgage brokers will be keen to see your 2020 Notice of Assessment as proof of income, the Notice will only be issued to you by CRA if you have filed your 2020 tax return. Filing your taxes and having your 2020 Notice of Assessment will help speed up your mortgage approval process.

If you are looking to file your taxes as soon as possible, and require assistance, why not contact a professional.

The Jackstaxback team is always happy to help those who require assistance with filing their tax returns. We are able to prepare tax returns before the tax season if officially open, and have them ready for submission to CRA upon the February 26, 2021 opening date. 

Taking advantage of working from home expenses on your 2020 tax return

How many times have you heard/read the word ‘unprecedented’ throughout the COVID-19 pandemic? Well get ready to read it a load more times.

With COVID forcing an unprecedented number of employees being forced to work remotely from home, there will be an unprecedented number of people eligible to claim working from home expenses on their 2020 tax returns. You can bet an unprecedented number of individuals will also fail to claim the full amount of allowable expenses available to them on their tax returns, resulting in an unprecedented amount of refund dollars missed by tax payers. 

Unprecedented aside, it will pay to file your 2020 tax return correctly. This year CRA has launched a more simplified method for those wanting to claim working from home expenses on their returns, the original detailed method to claim is also available. Those who worked from home for 4 weeks consecutively or longer will be able to claim via the simplified or detailed method on their 2020 tax return. Please review the two scenarios below to see which option works best for you!

I was forced to work from home for more than 50% of the time for 4 consecutive weeks or longer in 2020, if I use the simplified method, how does it affect my tax return?

Individuals will be able to claim a $2 deduction on their tax return for every day they were required to work from home. This does not include vacation days, and the individual will be required to have worked for more than 4 weeks consecutively to make the claim on their tax return.  If you worked from home for 100 days during 2020, you can claim $2 x 100 = $200 deduction on your tax return.

You are NOT required to keep receipts when making the simplified claim on your tax return. This is the main benefit of making the simplified claim, as opposed to the detailed claim as you will not be audited by CRA.

I was forced to work from home for more than 50% of the time for 4 consecutive weeks or longer in 2020, I want to use the detailed claim method on my tax return?

If you were forced to set up a home office during the pandemic and carry out 50% or more of your work duties from home more than 4 consecutive weeks, and wish to use the detailed method, you will be able to claim certain expenses on your 2020 tax return, such as:

• Rent
• Internet
• Electricity
• Heating
• Office supplies
• Employment use of basic cell phone service plan
• Long distance calls for employment purposes

You will be able to claim a percentage of the work from home expenses on your tax return in relation to the area of your home which is your designated ‘work space’. For example, if 10% of your home is your work space, you can claim 10% of your rent as a deduction on your tax return for the period of the year you were working from home.

You WILL be required to keep receipts for claims being made via the detailed option.

What will I need to claim the work from home expenses (simplified method) on my tax return?

You do not require any documentation. You will just need to record the number of days for which you wish to claim on your T777S on your 2020 tax return.

What will I need to claim the work from home expenses (detailed method) on my tax return?

In order to claim working from home expenses on your tax return, you will be required to have a T2200 or T2200S form signed by your employer, in which they state that you incurred expenses in order to carry out your role from a home office for 50% or more of the time for at least 4 consecutive weeks. It would be worth enquiring with the HR department to see if they can fill out a T2200/T2200S tax form for you. Without a signed T2200/T2200S, you will not be allowed to claim the work from home expenses on your tax return. 

You should keep a copy of your signed T2200/T2200S from your employer, as well as any receipts related to expenses being claimed on your tax return, just in case you are audited by CRA. CRA can request copies of your receipts and T2200/T2200S. Failure to provide either the receipts or T2200/T2200S to CRA may result in your expense claims being rejected.

Why you should be truthful with your claims?

It is illegal to make false claims on your tax return. When following the detailed method, CRA can request copies of receipts in order to confirm that an individual’s expense claims are correct. If CRA deem that you have made fictitious claims on your tax return, they can issue financial penalties. A false claim on your return may encourage CRA to carry out more audits on future tax returns. 

If you are unsure of what expenses you are able to claim, or how to ensure you are claiming the maximum amount of allowable expenses possible on your 2020 tax return, why not seek help from a professional.

For many people, 2020 will be the first tax year where they are making working from home expense claims. If you are not 100% sure you are making your claim correctly and wish to remain tax compliant there is no harm in asking a professional for assistance with your 2020 tax filing. The jackstaxback team is always happy to take the weight off your shoulders and ensure that you are claiming the best refund possible, within the tax rules. If you are interested in a free consultation, please message us today. Tax doesn’t have to be taxing.

For some individuals holding working holiday visas the dream year in Canada was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have received tax related questions from individuals who arrived in Canada in the first couple of months of 2020, and who ultimately had to return home after only a few months in order to return to their families. Not only was their working holiday shortened, it will also have an effect on their tax residency, and how their tax returns will be filed at year end. 

To file as a tax resident or a non-resident? That is the question

The benchmark for attaining tax residency, and filing your tax return is by residing in Canada for 183 days or longer during the tax year. For those arriving at the end of the year, you can still file as a tax resident with less than 183 days, as long as you are planning on residing for 183 days or longer split between two tax years (ie arriving November 1, 2020 and planning to leave June 1, 2021).

If you arrived in Canada the beginning of 2020 and had to return home less than 183 days later, and did not return to Canada later in 2020, you will be required to file your 2020 tax return as a non-resident. 

How does filing as a non-resident affect your return?

When filing as a non-resident, you are required to report all Canadian income on your tax return. It is most likely that your income will be reported on T4s received from any Canadian employer you had during the tax year. You will also be required to make a declaration about the amount of foreign income you earned during the tax year. If your Canadian income represented 10% or less of your total world income for the tax year, you will not be required to pay tax on your Canadian income, this would result in a tax refund when filing your return. 

If your Canadian income made up more than 10% of your world income for the tax year, you will be required to pay a 25% tax rate on that Canadian income. Most employers will have deducted income tax from your pay at a rate which is less than 25%, meaning you will be required to pay more tax to CRA when filing your return, in order to cover the shortfall in tax owed.

When filing as a non-resident it is not possible to file your tax return online, you will be required to print, sign and mail your tax return to CRA.

If I have a tax balance owing can I simply not file my tax return?

If you find yourself with a tax balance owing to CRA, you are obligated to file the tax return and pay the balance to CRA. If you wish to return to Canada and work in the future, the outstanding tax balance could impede future immigration/work permit applications.

Not too sure on your tax residency? Ask a tax professional for help.

If you are unsure of your tax obligations and want to be 100% sure of your tax residency status it may be wise to ask a professional for assistance with your tax return filing. The jackstaxback team is always happy to take the weight off your shoulders and ensure that your return is filed correctly. If you are interested in a free consultation, please message us today. Tax doesn’t have to be taxing.

A large number of individuals departed Canada during 2020 to be closer to family members living abroad, and ride out the Pandemic with those closest to them. Time spent outside of Canada may result in filing requirements on your tax return which are outside of the norm. It is important to make sure that you are being fully tax compliant with regard to filing requirements due to time spent outside of the country.

Common scenarios for those leaving Canada during 2020 due COVID:

I kept my job in Canada whilst I worked remotely for a few months in another country, I later returned to Canada, will this affect my return?

By maintaining your employment with a Canadian employer you will be considered as a Canadian tax resident throughout your time outside of the country. This means you will file your 2020 tax return in the same manner as if you had been residing in Canada for the entirety of 2020. As you had not taken up employment abroad, you had not taken up tax ties with another country, helping maintain your tax residency to Canada. 

I left Canada for a few months due to COVID, I did not work while abroad, I returned before the end of 2020, how does this affect my return?

You are typically required to be residing in Canada for 183 days or more a year to maintain your Canadian tax residency, other actions can also support your maintenance of Canadian tax residency, such as not starting tax residency in another country. If you were outside of Canada for less than 183 days, you have not problem in proving you maintained Canadian tax residency. If you were outside of Canada for longer than 183 days, but did not take up employment abroad, you can also claim that you maintained Canadian tax residency. Other things such as keeping physical property in Canada, showing your intent to return can also support your maintenance of Canadian tax residency.

By maintaining Canadian tax residency you will file your 2020 tax return like normal, in the same manner as if you resided in Canada for the entire year. 

I left Canada for a few months due to COVID, I worked for a foreign company while abroad, I returned before the end of 2020, how does this affect my return?

If you left Canada for a few months, and took up employment while outside of the country, you can also maintain your Canadian tax residency for the entire year if you were residing in Canada for at least 183 days during 2020. 

As you earned foreign income during your time abroad, you will be required to make a foreign income declaration on your Canadian tax return. You will be required to declare the total foreign income earned, as well as the total foreign tax paid on that income. If CRA deems that you paid sufficient foreign tax on that foreign income, you will not be required to pay Canadian tax on that income. Worst case scenario, if CRA does not deem you have paid sufficient foreign tax, you will also be hit with Canadian tax on that foreign income. 

I left Canada during 2020 for over 6 months and have been working abroad, I am planning on returning in 2021 at some point, how should I file my tax return?

If you left Canada for over 6 months, took up employment abroad and have not returned to Canada before the end of 2020, you will be considered as a Canadian tax emigrant for 2020. This means that you will have ceased to be a Canadian tax resident on the date you left Canada in 2020 and will be required to file an emigrant tax return. 

If you return to Canada in 2021 you will file as a newcomer tax resident when filing your 2021 tax return.

Does tax residency and maintaining tax compliancy seem like too much of a pain for 2020? Why not ask a professional for help?

2020 will be a particularly unique year for tax filing with regard to tax residency. If you are unsure of your obligations and want to remain tax compliant there is no harm in asking a professional for assistance with your 2020 tax filing. The jackstaxback team is always happy to take the weight off your shoulders and ensure that your return is filed correctly. If you are interested in a free consultation, please message us today. Tax doesn’t have to be taxing.

There are important things to be aware of before filing your 2020 tax return. Rather than letting 2020 deal you one final blow by being left in that dark over your tax filing, it is best to be prepared. CRA are not the most forgiving government agency, and will not turn a blind eye to penalizing individuals who repeatedly fail to correctly declare all income, even by an honest mistake.

I received CERB/CRB payments; how will this affect my return?

The CERB was introduced as a form of EI payment for those who had lost their employment due to COVID-19, which was subsequently replaced by the CRB payment. Like with other forms of EI, the payments are treated like income, meaning that the payments are taxable. Services Canada are supposed to deduct tax off the payments (sometimes they forget), however the tax deducted is usually a very low percentage. 

If you were working in a high paying role, where you were paying a fairly high percentage in tax, you can be sure that the amount of tax being deducted off your CERB or CRB payment was too low. This means that you will owe a fair bit of tax to CRA at year end. 

If you received CERB/CRB payments during 2020, there is a strong possibility that you will owe some tax to CRA when filing your 2020 tax return. Therefore, it would be advised to save a portion of those payments (if possible), to cover a potential tax balance owing when filing your tax return.

The same applies for those who are considered to be self-employed rather than employed.

If I have a balance owing to CRA, what does this mean?

If you have a balance owing to CRA, this will eventually need to be settled. The payment deadline is typically April 30^th of the following year (April 30, 2021 for 2020 tax returns). There is the possibility that it could be extended, however it is best to prepare for the worst-case scenario, which is April 30, 2021. Any tax balances owing which remain after the deadline can be subject to interest penalties from CRA

I was overpaid CERB, what should I do?

If you were accidentally overpaid CERB, it is advisable that the overpaid funds are returned. The funds should be returned as soon as possible, so that any tax forms issued to you by Service Canada show the correct amounts to be declared on your tax return. Errors when filing your tax return are notoriously difficult/slow to be rectified with CRA.

How do I declare the CERB/CRB payments on my tax return?

As with all EI payments, a T4E will be issued by Services Canada to individuals who received the CERB or CRB benefit payment. You should receive a copy in the mail, however you will also be able to access a copy of the T4E through your online Services Canada account. This T4E must be reported when filing your tax return. CRA can apply failure to declare penalties on individuals who repeatedly fail to declare all income on their tax returns. It is unlikely if you are a first time offender, however it is best to declare all income slips on your tax return.

I received large payments for the GST/HST credit, does this affect my return?

The larger payments received by individuals for the GST/HST credit are non-taxable payments, they will have no affect on your 2020 tax return filing. So, it’s not all bad news.

The 2019 tax filing deadline was delayed last year, should I wait this year?

There is a strong possibility that the 2020 tax filing deadline, as well as the tax balance owing payment deadline will be pushed back again this year. However, if you wish to continue to receive GST/HST credit payments on time, you will be required to file your tax return as soon as possible. The 2020 tax filing opening date should be in late February 2021. It is advised to file your return as soon as possible, just in case you have a balance owing, it is better to know where you stand, sooner rather than later.

If you are unsure of filing your 2020 tax return, ask a professional for help

If you are feeling unsure of your 2020 tax filing obligations, you can always ask a professional for assistance. The jackstaxback team is always happy to take the weight off your shoulders and ensure that your return is filed correctly. If you are interested in a free consultation, please message us today. Tax doesn’t have to be taxing.